Debary Plans Call For Grounding 2 Of Its Ponds

DeBary & Orange City

The City Wants To Fill Them In And Turn One Into A Park, The Other Into A Commercial Property.

January 31, 1999|By Ann Givens of The Sentinel Staff

DEBARY - City officials say two prominent retention ponds on U.S. Interstate 17-92 can be converted to serve the public better.

One retention pond in the south end of the city may be filled in to create a new commercial space. Another, near U.S. 17-92 and Highbanks Road, will become a city park.

At a recent City Council planning session, former council member Carmen Rosamonda said that using prime real estate for retention ponds is a waste of potential revenue.

City Manager Bob Mauney said that to convert the retention pond in south DeBary into a commercial property, the city would fill it in and then create a new retention pond on a nearby plot off Buena Vista Drive.

Ideally, Mauney said, he would like to see the city put a small office building on the property. He said that would allow the city to lease space to several small start- up businesses that do not have enough money to buy their own lots. He said that would ultimately help the city if the businesses grew strong and decided to stay in the area.

``That's something that could bring value back to the city,'' Mauney said.

Any decision about the fate of the pond will require the approval of the City Council.

The city plans to turn the retention pond near Highbanks Road into a tree-lined park with gazebos and a water fountain.

Transforming that pond into a park will be a joint effort between the city and the First Community Bank, which owns the adjacent lot.